Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Last Basket of the Year

I hope your holiday season is going well. I’m a bit crazed and forgetting basic things as I make sure the holiday things get done. Par for the course. I thought this was a great Holiday card...


And remember NO BASKETS DEC 29TH (next week).

Study Reveals Hazards of Monsanto's GMO’s
Three Major GMOs Approved for Food and Feed Found Unsafe
In the most comprehensive study yet of the health effects of three of Monsanto's genetically modified corn varieties, researchers from CRIIGEN and the French universities of Caen and Rouen have highlighted a number of new side effects linked with their consumption. Their study clearly underlines adverse impacts on kidneys and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs.

We don’t want to forget to boycott Monsanto with The Organic Consumers Association. For all their reasons and Actions go to: www.organicconsumers.org/bytes/ob204.htm.

Happy Holidays and see you next year!     Marnie

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Holiday Events!

My Term Paper is due this evening so I'm here redesigning the Coop Newsletter. That makes sense. Right? I'm actually in pretty good shape, I think. I know December is VERY busy, but we have two VERY exciting events coming up the Candlelight Holiday Party and Montclair Environmental Movie Night: No Impact Man. I hope to see you at at least one of the events!
And remember NO BASKETS DEC 29TH (a Basic Week).

Holiday Candlelight Party
Friday, December 11, 2009 at 6:30 PM
At the home of Marnie Vyff, 10 Vale Drive, Mountain Lakes
Enjoy hearty good food in the warmth of candle light and good friends. The candle light is part of the global 350.org Candle Light Vigil. The weekend for these vigils falls in the middle of the two-week Copenhagen talks. This is a symbolic act toward a greener world. See 350.org for more.
Please bring a Dinner Dish & a Festive Candle.
rsvp Marnie at 973-335-4469.

Montclair Movie: No Impact Man
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 6:30 PM
Montclair Public Library, 50 S Fullerton Ave , Montclair, NJ
Join us as we participate in New American Dream's nationwide pre-DVD release community screenings of the documentary, No Impact Man, and a post-screening discussion about how to simplify our holidays this year. During the two-weeks of the historic UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (December 7th-18th), they're bringing people together to talk about the impact of holiday spending on their lives and the environment.
Learn more here:
www.meetup.com/MountainLakesOrganicCoop/calendar/11930786/

Happy Holidays!  Marnie

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The Countdown Begins!

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. Mine was very good except that I drove to North Carolina and back. I can't believe it! Another year is almost over! We have lots of good things happening this month and their are NO BASKETS DEC 29TH.

December Calendar
1 Basic Week
6 Candle Making Workshop
8 Big Week
11 Holiday 350 Candlelight Vigil Party
15 Basic Week
16 Montclair Movie: No Impact Man
22 Big Week
29 No Bags this week

Monsanto's Control Over Seed Market Prompts Antitrust Inquiry
By Peter Whoriskey - The Washington Post, November 29, 2009

For plants designed in a lab a little more than a decade ago, they've come a long way: Today, the vast majority of the nation's two primary crops grow from seeds genetically altered according to Monsanto company patents.

Ninety-three percent of soybeans. Eighty percent of corn.

The seeds represent "probably the most revolutionary event in grain crops over the last 30 years," said Geno Lowe, a Salisbury, Md., soybean farmer.

But for farmers such as Lowe, prices of the Monsanto-patented seeds have steadily increased, roughly doubling during the past decade, to about $50 for a 50-pound bag of soybean seed, according to seed dealers.

The revolution, and Monsanto's dominant role in the nation's agriculture, has not unfolded without complaint. Farmers have decried the price increases, and competitors say the company has ruthlessly stifled competition.

Now Monsanto -- like IBM and Google -- has drawn scrutiny from U.S. antitrust investigators, who under the Obama administration have looked more skeptically at the actions of dominant firms.

More: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/28/ AR2009112802471.html?hpid=topnews

Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Environmental Movies in Denville!

So today is the fiinal produce delivered from Starbrite Farms. We will be getting the produce through the winter from Four Seasons and I will look for a different local source for next summer. I haven’t been totally happy with the quality of all of Strbrite’s vegetables and I had no way to return unsatisfactory goods. That won’t happen again. I am very releaved to be done with this. I know some of the produce was very good and we got to try a few new things like the celery root (big Bags only) this week. My biggest issue was with the unusual vegetables on the Basic Bag weeks. We’ll keep those bags more regular in the future!

This Thursday at 6:30pm – "Coal Country"
Nov 12 - 6:30 PM at Nature’s EnerQi, 21 Bloomfield Avenue, Denville
Coal Country is a stunning new documentary that reveals the devastation of mountaintop removal coal mining to the forests, streams, and communities of Appalachia. Produced by Mari-Lynn Evans and Phylis Geller, Coal Country brings us inside the lives of Appalachian residents who are directly threatened by mountaintop removal, a destructive mining practice where mountaintops are blasted away to expose the coal; the waste is then dumped in the waterways of nearby communities. As it takes us through each stage of coal mining and processing, Coal Country reveals the shocking true cost of America's over-reliance on coal.
For more information: www.mountainlakesorganic.com/Calendar.html or contact Marnie Vyff at 335-4469.


Go Organic to Avoid rBGH, Monsanto and Eli Lilly's Genetically Modified Bovine Growth Hormone

Dr. Sam Epstein, Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, warns:
• rBGH makes cows sick.
• rBGH-derived milk is contaminated by pus.
• rBGH-derived milk is chemically and nutritionally different than natural milk.
• Milk from cows injected with rBGH is contaminated with Bovine Growth Hormone, traces of which are absorbed through the gut into the blood of people who consume this milk or products made from it.
• rBGH milk is supercharged with high levels of a potent cancer tumor promoter called insulin-like growth factor number one (IGF-1), which is readily absorbed through the gut.
• Excess levels of IGF-1 in the human body have been linked in numerous scientific studies as a cause of breast, colon, and prostate cancer.
Dr. Epstein and other scientists recommend boycotting rBGH-tainted milk and dairy products and purchasing organic products instead. According to The Hartman Group, a well-respected firm analyzing consumer, organic milk is now a leading priority for health-minded consumers. Demand for organic milk has grown at an annual rate of 20% until recently, while overall milk consumption has dropped by 10%.
"Nevertheless," Dr. Epstein emphasizes, "only a few schools make organic milk available, nor do most state governments, under low- income food programs, particularly by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children."
-Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., "Cancer Expert Counters Reckless Claims That Hormonal Milk Is Safe," October 14, 2009
MORE: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19391.cfm

Boycott Genetically Engineered rBGH
Following up on our successful campaign against Yoplait and Dannon, the Organic Consumers Association is now asking our members to boycott ice cream companies that still allow the use of genetically modified bovine growth hormone (Dreyer's, Edy's, Nestle, Haagen-Dazs, Klondike, Good Humor, Breyer's).
ACTION: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19530.cfm


Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Green Cafe is Back!

This Thursday at Noon ? "Addicted to Plastics"
Directed & Produced by Ian Connacher
Thursday, October 29th ? 12:00 to 2:00 pm
At the Mountain Lakes Public Library
The Green Caf? events are our Mountain Lakes League of Women Voters Green Community Meetings which are also social, environmental luncheons. You can enjoy a medley of organic and local foods while learning about ways we can have a smaller impact on our planet. Plastics are perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented, but such progress has had a cost.
Addicted To Plastic is a global journey to investigate what we really know about the material of a thousand uses and why there's so much of it. Addicted To Plastic encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film provides expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions - which include plastic made from plants - will provide viewers with a new perspective about our future with plastic.
For more information: www.mountainlakesorganic.com/Calendar.html or contact Marnie Vyff at 335-4469.


Enjoy! Marnie

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

MidTerms!!

I have my mid term exam this evening so my letter is short. I must study!!!  

ALERT UPDATE OF THE WEEK 
Obama's Biotech & Chemically Dependent Friends 
Organic Consumers Association network members sent 100,000 emails to Obama last fall opposing Tom Vilsack's appointment as USDA Secretary, because the former Iowa Governor had served as a leading advocate for Monsanto, genetic engineering, and factory farming. We also generated nearly 40,000 letters opposing former Monsanto lobbyist Michael Taylor's appointment as a senior adviser to the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner on food safety. 

So far, we've been able to keep Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff (notorious for his support of Monsanto's controversial gene-altered Bovine Growth Hormone) out of the Administration, but President Obama has just nominated two high-profile biotech advocates, closely connected to Monsanto and corporate agribusiness, to key USDA and trade positions. 

Obama has tapped Roger Beachy, long-time president of the Danforth Plant Science Center (Monsanto's nonprofit arm) as chief of the USDA's newly created National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). And Islam Siddiqui, currently the VP of Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America (a major front group for GMO and chemical agriculture), has been nominated for the post of Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative's office. CropLife's regional partner, the Mid America CropLife Association, was the group that infamously chided the First Lady for refusing to use pesticides on the White House garden. Siddiqui gave the maximum personal contribution to Obama's campaign and held a major fundraiser for Obama at his McLean, Virginia home early last year.

LEARN MORE & TAKE ACTION: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19325.cfm


Enjoy! Marnie

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Event Week!

This week we have one event Wednesday & two events Thursday! I hope you can join us for at least one of them...

Wednesday, Oct 14
Fall Vegetable Garden Program – 7:00-9:00pm
Learn about composting, extending your growing season and what you can do in the Fall to prepare your garden for the coming Winter and Spring. Inspirational speaker Wanda Knapik, from My Local Garden, will share her tips and lead a discussion on Fall in the garden.  Free.
Register with the library:  http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/
Bernardsville Public Library, 1 Anderson Hill Rd, Bernardsville 908-766-0118

Thursday, Oct 15
The Secret Life of Whole Grains – 1:00-3:00pm
Whole Grains: These powerhouses-loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants-offer ready energy, great taste, and protection against many diseases. Learn how to prepare warming nutritious meals for the fall. Again, our local food expert, Phyllis Deering, will teach this class in Marnie's Kitchen.
The $15 class fee covers the expert and food supplies. Please RSVP! Mtn Lakes Organic Coop, 10 Vale Drive, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 973-335-4469

Montclair Environmental Movie Night – 6:30-9:00pm
Kilowatt Ours & Unlimited – Bring your kids or a friend!
A double feature of eye opening films about our energy use. Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America, the new National edition of the Award winning film is a solutions-oriented exploration of energy issues and opportunities in the United States. Unlimited: Renewable Energy in the 21st Century energy experts introduce promising technologies being used right here in New Jersey.

Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

My 25th Reunion

My 25th Reunion

I remember going to my dad’s 25th when I was a teenager. This weekend its my turn! I loved my college days and there’s something really nice about Providence, RI in the fall. Some old best friends are going up too. I’m really looking forward to it.
I’ve been reworking the Coop website and have added a few bells and whistles, please visit it! www.MountainLakesOrganic.com.
The recipe section is expanded. Now whenever we get  interesting vegetables, we have some good recipes to try out!
With fall, we have had a bunch of new members join. I’d like to just remind everyone of a few things. Some of you saw the list last week, but I need to print it for the Basic week too:
• Please don’t forget to write on your invoice or a slip of paper anything you get from the fridges. I need to know for inventory purposes.
• Please put your name on that slip too just so I know who to credit in my accounting program.
• Please do not leave your car idling while you get your produce. Its toxic, a waste of money, bad for global warming, and against the law.
• And please don’t forget to bring back your bags. Thanks to all of you who do!

Stop GMO Sugar!
OCA congratulates our longtime ally, the Center for Food Safety, for gaining a federal court ruling against genetically engineered sugar beets. Despite the ruling, American Crystal, the nation’s largest sugar beet processor, is apparently still planning on using Monsanto's GE sugar beets. American Crystal President David Berg told the New York Times he thought customer acceptance of GE sugar was "a big non-event."
A big non-event?
Tell American Crystal that you're joining the boycott. Avoid Monsanto's GE sugar by buying certified organic food (GE is banned from organic) and boycotting all non-organic brands that refuse to take a GMO-free stand.
TAKE ACTION NOW: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/

ORGANIC NEWS OF THE WEEK
Organic Valley Measures the Toxic Burden of Non-Organic Foods
Organic Valley, America's largest organic farmers' co-op, has launched an online calculator called "Organic Counts!" which shows how Organic Valley farmers and consumers collectively kept 89.5 million pounds of synthetic fertilizer and 1.25 million pounds of synthetic pesticides from America's soil and water from 1988 to 2008.
To create the Organic Counts! online calculator, Organic Valley entered its production data from the past 20 years, as well as parallel data from the USDA to show the average amounts of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used in industrial agriculture per acre each year.
Public health costs directly associated with pesticide poisoning amount to billions of dollars per year. Exposure to pesticides and synthetic fertilizers have been linked to infertility, Parkinson's, cancer, birth defects, obesity, and learning and behavioral disabilities.
More than one million children in America age five and under ingest at least 15 pesticides daily. Early childhood exposures to pesticides are a leading cause of autism, obesity, asthma, brain cancer and other childhood diseases.
LEARN MORE: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article _19214.cfm

Thank You and Enjoy!    
Marnie

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

A Few Reminders

With fall, we have had a bunch of new members join. There are a few things I?d like to remind everyone of:
• Please don?t forget to write on your invoice or a slip of paper anything you get from the fridges. I need to know for inventory purposes.
• Please put your name on that slip too just so I know who to credit in my accounting program.
• Please do not leave your car idling while you get your produce. Its toxic, a waste of money, bad for global warming, and against the law.
• And please don?t forget to bring back your bags. Thanks to all of you who do!

Also, I've been reworking the websiteand have added a few bells and whistles, please visit it! www.MountainLakesOrganic.com

ALERT OF THE WEEK - Keep Nanotechnology Out of Organic!
A major reason why consumers shop for products that are certified organic is to avoid hazardous and unlabeled Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), toxic chemicals, and now the most recent, and likely most dangerous hi-tech poison of them all - nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is now a multi-billion dollar Frankenstein monster industry churning out a vast menu of untested and unlabeled products containing tiny nanoparticles including non-organic vitamin supplements, food packaging, processed food, cosmetics, and sunscreens.
The United States Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has been debating an official ban on nanotechnology in organic. When it meets November 3-5, 2009 in Washington, D.C., the NOSB will consider a recommendation supported by the the OCA and the organic community that would "prohibit nanotechnology in organic production, processing, and packaging."
Nanotechnology is inherently dangerous. Mounting scientific evidence indicates that nanomaterials produce dangerous "free radicals" which can destroy or mutate DNA and can cause damage to the liver and kidneys. Nanotech particles not only injure and kill lab animals - they can kill you as well.
Every day, new evidence of the dangers of nanotechnology emerges:
Workplace nanoparticle exposure was linked to seven cases of serious and progressive lung disease in China including two patient deaths.
Nanoparticles present in a chemical found in sunscreens - titanium dioxide - are being examined as possibly causing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Tell the USDA that you want the National Organic Standards Board to take a strong stand against the use of nanotechnology in organic. Please act before the October 19 deadline.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=13948781

Thank You and Enjoy!
Marnie

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Organic Consumers Association

I found a number of interesting stories this week from The Organic Consumers Association. All is well otherwise, so I decided to focus on them. They are a great organization and can use your help keeping “Organic” politically clean. Take a moment, go to their site and see whats going on!

ORGANIC NEWS OF THE WEEK
Organic Sales Growth Down to Seven Percent in '09
The "natural" food phenomenon worries many in the organic industry. So-called "natural" products aren't regulated and don't have to meet any special standards, so they can be marketed more cheaply than genuine certified organic food. Many formerly organic brands are trying to fool consumers into thinking natural and organic are the same.
Early this year, for instance, WhiteWave Foods added "natural" Silk soy milk to its line of organic products. This summer, WhiteWave (a unit of Dean Foods) broadened its Horizon line of organic products with its first "natural" offering: Little Blends, a yogurt for toddlers. In August, it began test-marketing Milk Breakers, a six-ounce single serving of "natural" milk with added protein.
This year, for the first time since at least 2004, sales of “natural” foods and beverages will likely grow at a faster rate than sales of organic foods, according to Nutrition Business Journal.
The organic industry is fighting back. In September, Organic Valley will debut an online calculator that lets consumers see how many chemicals they avoid by using organic milk.
“We’re holding on when some other sectors are sinking,” says Theresa Marquez, chief marketing executive for Organic Valley. “Our future is organic.”
LEARN MORE: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19127.cfm


VICTORY OF THE WEEK AND CALL TO ACTION
Eliminating Labeling Fraud in Organic Personal Care Products
A committee of the USDA National Organic Standards Board wants to "Solve the Problem of Mislabeled Organic Personal Care." The Organic Consumers Association is very encouraged by the committee's proposal to make sure that any use of the word "organic" on a personal care product is backed up by third-party certification to USDA standards for products that are "USDA Organic" or "Made With Organic Ingredients." This is what OCA's Coming Clean campaign has been pushing the USDA to do for the last 5 years. Unfortunately, the USDA has been hostile to the idea and even USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, an advocate for organic agriculture, has resisted consumer pressure on this issue. So, the long struggle for USDA enforcement of organic standards in personal care continues. The first step is getting the full NOSB to adopt the committee recommendation. The deadline for sending comments to the NOSB in advance of their November 3-5 meeting is October 19, 2009. Please take action today.
TAKE ACTION: www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm

Organic Milk Linked to Fewer Allergies Including Eczema and Asthma
By Julie Knapp, Eco Child's Play, Sept 15, 2009
Organic milk may cost more, but it may also pay off in the end. A re-cent Dutch study suggests that children are one third less likely to suffer from allergies before age two if they're raised on organic dairy products.
In the study, children and breastfeeding moms ate organic milk, cheese and yogurt. The study author said the connection between choosing organic dairy and less incidence of eczema was clear. The risk for other allergies and asthma also decreased.
So why is organic better?
Read full article: http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/09/15/

Enjoy!     Marnie


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Fresh - The Movie

Tomorrow – Wednesday, September 16, 6:30 PM
At the Montclair Public Library, 50 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair NJ
The Montclair Township Environmental Affairs office and Community Green present another eye opening film. FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are reinventing our food system. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision of our food and our planet’s future. The film addresses an ethos that has been sweeping the nation and is the call to action America has been waiting for.
FRESH empowers us to realize that our individual actions in fact do matter. Throughout the film we encounter the most inspiring people, ideas, and initiatives around the US. The movie showcases real people, connecting audiences not with facts and figures or policy analysis, but with personal stories of change.
This is one of a series of Environmental Film Screenings put on by CommunityGreen.org. For more information contact Marnie Vyff at 335-4469 or marnie@ecoLOGIC-design.com.

Tell your friends. These classes are open to everyone, not just coop members. At the end of September (Sept. 24th) we’ll be having a fall garden prep/composting class with Wanda Knapik, a permaculture expert from Bernardsville, who plants vegetable gardens for residents and schools. I have redone the website so the Events classes are on our coop site, on the calendar page. Check it out at: www.MountainLakesOrganic.com
I started my fall semester at Montclair State this last week. I’m taking Environmental Change/Communication and changed my Ecology class to Economics. I like my teachers so far and the semester looks good!


ALERT OF THE WEEK
Whole Foods Threatens to Sue OCA
Whole Foods sent a letter dated August 26, 2009, signed by one of its attorneys, threatening to sue the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), under the bizarre pretense that a petition we've been circulating violates Whole Foods' "intellectual property rights." Here's OCA's response to CEO John Mackey:
"Given all the bad publicity that you've gotten lately for admitting that Whole Foods Market (WFM) retail stores are purveyors of 'junk food;' that WFM needs to sell a lot more certified organic products (rather than conventional items greenwashed as 'natural'); that WFM's '365' private label products need to be thoroughly tested for GMO contamination; that you don't think all Americans deserve government subsidized access to health care; or need labor unions; perhaps you may want to reconsider suing the largest organic consumer watchdog organization in the United States..."
Read the full text of OCA Director Ronnie Cummins' letter to John Mackey: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19057.cfm

Please help put the pressure on Whole Foods and Whole Foods' main distributor, United Natural Foods Incorporated (UNFI), to:
   1. Stop prioritizing the sales of conventional foods and products (greenwashed as "natural") and instead double WFM and UNFI's sales of certified organics from 1/3 to 2/3 of their total sales. This would increase US organic sales by approximately $3 billion (15%) annually!
   2. Give smaller retailers and coops that seriously promote organics (more than 1/3 of sales organic) the same UNFI discount that Whole Foods receives.
   3. Apply Domestic Fair Trade principles to the UNFI and Whole Foods supply chains by guaranteeing workers' rights to freely organize themselves into unions for collective bargaining.
   4. Support health care reform to provide universal health care coverage while reducing costs, relieving employers of health care responsibilities, and encouraging wellness and prevention through nutrition and complementary natural medicine.
TAKE ACTION: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27761


Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Join us This Thursday...

Easy Delicious Summer Preserves II
In 2 Days! Back by popular demand! We can save the delicious flavor of plums and strawberries for the middle of the cold dark winter in different easy methods including brandied preserves to dish up over ice cream, jam and freezing techniques.
The cost covers the professional, the organic ingredients and the jars. Join us at this pleasant afternoon social, to learn the secrets of preserving summer fruits in Marnie's kitchen. For more info call 973-335-4469. Please RSVP.

Tell your friends. These classes are open to everyone, not just coop members. At the end of September (Sept. 24th) we’ll be having a fall garden prep/composting class with Wanda Knapik, a permaculture expert from Bernardsville, who plants vegetable gardens for residents and schools. I have redone the website so the Events classes are on our coop site, on the calendar page. Check it out at: www.MountainLakesOrganic.com
I start my fall semester at Montclair State today. I’m taking Environmental Change/Communication and Ecology. The syllabuses look frightning with the amount of work I’ll have to do.


VICTORY OF THE WEEK
USDA Disowns "Organic-Biotech" Report After OCA & Allies Protest
Last week, we asked you to take action to oppose a cynical attempt on the part of the USDA to promote genetic engineering as potentially allowed in organic production. The target of our ire was a report issued by the USDA Foreign Agriculture Information Network, "The Unexplored Potential of Organic-Biotech Production," that argued, "Governments should change their regulations to allow producers to gain organic certification for biotech crops grown with organic methods."
Thanks to thousands of letters of protest, the report was removed from the USDA Web site and replaced with a disclaimer announcing that "the report does not represent the policy of the United States Government."
More: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18878.cfm

Farm Workers' Rights Now!
Farm workers should have the same labor rights that other workers are guaranteed, including:
    * Overtime pay
    * A minimum wage
    * Restrictions on child labor
    * The right to join labor unions and bargain collectively
Unfortunately, farm workers are denied most of the basic protections that our state and federal labor laws guarantee other workers.
This could change in California where farm workers are literally dying in the fields because they often have no water to drink nor shade to rest under and where agribusiness as usual routinely involves lack of enforcement of laws on pesticide poisonings and sexual harassment. SB789 "CA Employee Free Choice Act for Farm Workers" has reached the Governor’s desk. This bill will make it easier for farm workers to organize a union and protect themselves. No deaths from heat or thirst have ever occurred on any farm where farm workers have a union contract.
NATIONAL Action: www.organicconsumers.org/fairtrade.cfm


Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

It’s Fall so Start your Vegetable Garden!

The tomato sauce we made in the class was spectacular! That’s a sauce to spend the extra time on! Oh, we give up so much for convenience! I’m making more tonight!
Are you all ready for fall? I love my son, but I’m looking SO forward to school starting! We made it through August with hardly any unbearably hot days. There was a little too much rain, otherwise it was perfect summer weather for me. Next spring I’ll be moving part of my vegetable garden into the front yard too. I’ve been wanting to do this for years and the ‘social thing’ has held me back. But I think I can make it look good enough now. Its certainly better than the crabgrass thats taking over! Now is the time to start it. I’ll be putting in the much in the next week or two.
At the end of September (Sept. 24th) we’ll be having a fall garden prep/composting class with Wanda Knapik, a permaculture expert from Bernardsville, who plants vegetable gardens for residents and schools. Check it out at: www.meetup.com/MountainLakesOrganicCoop

Excerpts from the Starbrite Newsletter
The weather has continued to present challenges during this past week. The frequent rain does not give the ground ample time to dry out enough for me to prepare ground or plant seeds. In addition high winds which accompanied...

I’m sorry but there was nothing nice in this newsletter. The vegetables are great from Starbrite, but I think I may forgo the newsletters. John makes them way too negative. We know farming is difficult, relying on the weather and all. I think he need to realize #%$@ happens. So lets get on with it and have a nice day! He does deliver good produce after all.


Roundup Researcher: “If I know something, I will not shut my mouth.”
Dr. Andrés Carrasco, an embryologist who works in Argentina's Ministry of Science's Conicet (National Council of Scientific and Technical Investigations) responding to criticism over his research which found that Monsanto's Roundup herbicide caused brain, intestinal and heart defects in amphibian fetuses.
GRAIN: Seeds of Information, July 2009
www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18944.cfm

ALERT OF THE WEEK
Tell the USDA GE Frankenfoods & Nanotechnology Aren't Organic
Last week, we gave you news of a report issued by the USDA Foreign Agriculture Information Network, "The Unexplored Potential of Organic-Biotech Production," that argues "Governments should change their regulations to allow producers to gain organic certification for biotech crops grown with organic methods."
www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18878.cfm

In May, we alerted you that the National Organic Standards Board was considering an official ban on nanotechnology in organic, but felt stymied by their concern that "Under the current definition, most nanotechnology would not fall into the category of excluded methods."
Action: http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=13184481

Every day, we post new evidence at OrganicConsumers.org that genetic engineering and nanotechnology present dangers to human health and the environment...
Please take action to (1) oppose the USDA's cynical attempt to promote genetic engineering as potentially organic and (2) push the National Organic Standards Board to take a strong stand against the use of nanotechnology in organic. Genetic engineering and nanotechnology aren't organic!
Action: www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm


Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Join us This Thursday...

Italian Secrets of Preserving Tomatoes
There is nothing like New Jersey local tomatoes – especially when you combine them with age-old Italian home recipes. Phyllis Deering, our resident professional, will teach us her grandmother's secrets to making amazing tomato sauces at home. Now when the tomatoes are coming off the vine faster than we can count. As good as they are, we just can't eat them all, today. Join us on Thursday, August 27th at 1:00 pm.
The cost covers the professional, the organic ingredients and the jars. Join us at this pleasant afternoon social. For more info call 973-335-4469 or go to www.meetup.com/MountainLakesOrganicCoop. Please RSVP.

We have reached the mid-point of our season with Starbrite and I am working on some changes. Hopefully this basket will reflect some of those changes. Our Basic Basket members have generally wanted more basic vegetables rather than the full array. I have expressed this to John and we are working on it.

Excerpts from the Starbrite Newsletter
We have arrived at the mid point of the season. While it has been one of the most challenging years ever, I am fairly satisfied with what we have been able to provide thus far. I only hope that you, the shareholders feel the same. I strive to make each year better than the last as I learn from my mistakes and improve my soils and growing systems. In almost every year there are crops that flourish and others that fail.  Last year there were no sweet potatoes because I was unable to buy plants. This year we have planted about 2500 plants and they are doing well. Last year we had a bumper melon crop, in spite of problems with the crows drilling holes in many of them. This year I am sad to report that the deer have destroyed my entire main planting of melons. I have planting melons in the open, with no fencing for 12 years and have never had a problem until this season. We are beginning to harvest quite a few ground cherries, so depending on availability these may be in your share this week or next. These members of the tomato family are closely related to the tomatillo and share the paper husk that surrounds the fruit. Simply squeeze them out of their husk and eat them out of hand, in salads or make a sauce with them. They make great snacks for kids as they are quite sweet.
Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Tomatoes are Starting to Come in so Join us...

Italian Secrets of Preserving Tomatoes
There is nothing like New Jersey local tomatoes – especially when you combine them with age-old Italian home recipes. Phyllis Deering, our resident professional, will teach us her grandmother's secrets to making amazing tomato sauces at home. Now when the tomatoes are coming off the vine faster than we can count. As good as they are, we just can't eat them all, today. Join us on Thursday, August 27th at 1:00 pm.
The cost covers the professional, the organic ingredients and the jars. Join us at this pleasant afternoon social, to learn the secrets of homemade tomato sauce in Marnie's kitchen. For more info call 973-335-4469 or go to www.meetup.com/MountainLakesOrganicCoop. Please RSVP.

We have reached the mid-point of our season with Starbrite and I am working on some changes. Hopefully your next basket will reflect those changes. Our members have generally wanted a few more basic vegetables rather than the array of unusual ones. I have expressed this to John and we are working on it.

Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

By Popular Demand – Another Fruit Preserving Class

A number of members couldn't make the July date and asked if we could do the class again. Phyllis can do it Aug 28, Sept 2, or Sept 3.
If you are interested in participating, please respond by Thursday Aug 13th to tell us your date preference.
Easy Delicious Summer Preserves
As the summer heat builds, the peaches, plums, and apricots are abundant. We can save their delicious flavor for the middle of the cold dark winter in different easy methods including brandied preserves to dish up over ice cream. A local professional will teach us the secrets of preserving using some of her favorite recipes.
The $15 cost covers the professional, the organic ingredients and the jars. Join us at this pleasant afternoon social, to learn the secrets of preserving summer fruits in My kitchen. Call for more info 973-335-4469.

Also...
Italian Secrets of Preserving Tomatoes
There is nothing like New Jersey local tomatoes – especially when you combine them with age-old Italian home recipes. Phyllis Deering, our resident professional, will teach us her grandmother's secrets to making amazing tomato sauces at home. Now when the tomatoes are coming off the vine faster than we can count. As good as they are, we just can't eat them all, today. Join us on Thursday, August 27th at 1:00 pm.
The cost covers the professional, the organic ingredients and the jars. Join us at this pleasant afternoon social, to learn the secrets of homemade tomato sauce in Marnie's kitchen. For more info call 973-335-4469 or go to www.meetup.com/MountainLakesOrganicCoop. Please RSVP.

Enjoy!     Marnie

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Please Remember to Bring your Bags Back!

The Fruit Preserving Class was a great success! There are a few who could not make the date, so please email me if you are interested in us doing it again. Also, we will have a Tomato Sauce Class at the end of August so save the date: Thursday, August 27th.
More info: www.meetup.com/MountainLakesOrganicCoop
Please remember to bring back your bags!!!
Starbrite uses reuseable boxes, so were not getting the many cardboard boxes that we get with 4 Seasons. This means we’ve been running short of boxes to use for you if you forget to bring back your bags. So please try to remember now at least while we work with Starbrite!

Starbrite Newsletter Excerpts...
Hello Everyone,  We received some much needed rain this past weekend and fortunately the hailstorms that were about missed us this time. The ground is still quite dry, which is good for digging potatoes but not for much else.  We have been busy putting up trellis for tomatoes and for many people’s favorite, the Rattlesnake pole bean.  The beans have been coming in heavily, so we have an ample supply for the shares this week. Unfortunately one variety that I planned which was supposed to be a green bean has produced yellow wax beans, so we have more wax beans than green beans at the moment. This week you will be receiving Ailsa Craig sweet onions, a wonderful heirloom variety. These we will send with the green tops still attached, which can be used like a scallion. We will also be shipping radicchio, most of which is the trevisio type which has a form like a small romaine lettuce. We are continuing with the rotation of cukes and summer squash (zukes).

Enjoy!     Marnie